Noah Hemingway
Active Member
What are your guys honest opinion on using canister filters for reef aquariums? With A hang on back skimmer separate also.
Canister filters
- Thread starter Noah Hemingway
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Sleeping Giant
Proud Canadian Reefer
I use a Fluval FX4 canister and a AquaMaxx 1.5 hob skimmer, works great.
Bellasmith
Community Member
Cole.mormon
Valuable Member
Flu Val 07 series
Cole.mormon
Valuable Member
Works great in my aquarium a lot of space ect..
blasterman
Valuable Member
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Cannisters are very efficient at mechanical filtration and pretty decent at chemical filtration. Because they are external they save space in your sump, etc. Just put the hoses where you need the action.
Where they suck is the limits of mechanical and chemical filtration in the first place. There's also the nonsense of keeping biological media in them akin to bio wheels and wet/drys. Basically a solution in search of a problem.
For periodic water polishing they work great. For continuous use i think they are counter productive. They quickly fill with crud and deitrus due to their efficiency and start moving your biological filter inside them. You counter this with frequent cleaning which I find a pain. A few years ago I epoxied a power head to the lid of an empty peanut butter jar and drilled holes in the opposite side. Stuffed full of floss and hung in my tank or sump it works as good as any cannister and much easier to clean.
Where they suck is the limits of mechanical and chemical filtration in the first place. There's also the nonsense of keeping biological media in them akin to bio wheels and wet/drys. Basically a solution in search of a problem.
For periodic water polishing they work great. For continuous use i think they are counter productive. They quickly fill with crud and deitrus due to their efficiency and start moving your biological filter inside them. You counter this with frequent cleaning which I find a pain. A few years ago I epoxied a power head to the lid of an empty peanut butter jar and drilled holes in the opposite side. Stuffed full of floss and hung in my tank or sump it works as good as any cannister and much easier to clean.
